The present invention relates to a hip joint for an artificial leg. The upper side of the hip joint has connection means for attachment to a prosthesis basket, and the underside of the hip joint is designed for releasable attachment to the artificial leg. An extension limit stop defines the starting position of the hip joint in extension.
Such an embodiment can be found in EP 0,093,867 B1. In this previously disclosed hip joint, a first joint part screwed to a connection means is connected via a pivot joint to a second joint part provided for connection to the artificial leg. The pivoting movement of the second joint part is limited by stops for the standing and sitting positions of the artificial leg. The hip joint is designed with one axis and accordingly has only one degree of freedom, and the second joint part and the artificial leg connected to it can swivel in only one plane. By contrast, the very much more complicated movement of a natural hip joint takes place in three planes.
Another design comparable to the hip joint described above is disclosed in EP 0,285,328 B1.